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"Her Life Reflected" And the winner is... The Mom Who It started like any other day. Angie Smith woke up to her dream. She had everything she had ever wanted: a growing walk with Jesus, a loving husband, three beautiful daughters, and a new life growing inside her swollen belly. January 7, 2008 was full of promise; Angie was scheduled for her second trimester ultrasound and couldn’t wait to find out whether her new child would be a boy or a girl. While her husband Todd sat beside her in the dimly lit room, the doctors spoke words that forever changed their lives. “Your child--she has many conditions; each of which is lethal. You will have some choices to make...” There was only one choice for Todd and Angie--they would love their baby girl for as long as God would let them keep her. As Angie continued through her pregnancy, she started a blog for family and friends to follow her story. Soon her audience grew to include people from all over the world. She named her baby Audrey Caroline, and every day that Audrey grew within her womb, Angie spoke to her. She told her all about her sisters and her dad. She talked to her about Jesus, heaven, and all of the important things that mothers wants their daughters to know. Angie cherished every moment with Audrey. In April 2008, Audrey Caroline entered the world weighing three pounds. She had beautiful red hair and the tiniest fingers Angie had ever seen. This tiny girl was full of promise for eternity. Prayers blanketed the family as they held their daughter for two sweet hours before she went to be with Jesus. As she slipped away, Angie’s heart-wrenching grief was overcome by only one thought--Audrey is with Jesus now. Angie has reflected Christ’s love through her difficult journey in several ways. Many times, Angie talked about how God is constant. How He doesn't change regardless of what life’s circumstances may be. And that He was the same God on the day she buried her baby as He was on the day that she found out she was pregnant. Angie was also constant. She loved Audrey from the moment she knew that she existed. Her love didn’t change after she found out about her fatal birth defects. She never considered an abortion, no matter what heartache would come from carrying out the pregnancy. Angie stayed faithful to Audrey just as God stays faithful to us. Even as Audrey grew and the pregnancy caused Angie a lot of pain, she gave of herself so that her child could live. She was willing to do whatever it took, just to have one more day with her sweet baby. God loves us like that. He was willing to do whatever it took to have a relationship with you and I. He even went so far as to give His only son, Jesus, to pay the penalty for our sin on the cross. And then He let His son die so that we might live and have eternity with Him in Heaven. Jesus promised eternal life for little ones like Audrey and for faithful mothers like Angie who have given their lives to serving Him. Above all, I have marveled at Angie’s strength in continuing to raise her three young daughters at home. She has not only survived the loss of her youngest daughter, she has taught her older three a lesson in faith and God’s goodness. To prepare her girls for Baby Audrey’s death, Angie bought a stuffed bunny with a permanent mark on its heart. She let the girls put Band-aids on the bunny’s boo-boo as she explained that their new sister also had a boo-boo on her heart. They took turns loving the bunny and caring for it while Angie was pregnant. After Audrey went to heaven, Angie sat down with the girls, tenderly removed the Band-aids from the worn little bunny, and explained that Audrey no longer had boo-boo’s, since she was now in heaven with Jesus. He had healed her. As I imagined what Angie felt when she ripped off each of those Band-aids, I found myself weeping. What a glorious hope we have in Jesus. Angie can move forward with the days to come become she knows God is constant. She can look forward to Heaven’s glorious reunion, where baby Audrey will be waiting for her--healthy and whole. Though her empty arms ache now, Angie knows that when she meets Jesus, she will also meet her fourth daughter again. Angie only mothered Audrey a short time on this earth, but in that time she was a better mother than I could ever hope to be. As I read her words of devotion to Jesus, despite all the suffering she endured, I was given glorious perspective in my own life. Suddenly those piles of laundry didn’t matter anymore. The housework could wait, and I just wanted to tell my children about Jesus. Each time I walked away from hearing more of Angie’s story, I wanted to cradle my children close and count their fingers and toes all over again. Angie reminds me that I am blessed. And she stands firm in her belief that she is blessed too. She has pointed many people to a saving knowledge of Jesus as she walked this long and difficult road. Doctors, nurses, friends, neighbors, and strangers have all been impacted in hundreds of ways by Angie’s story. She has made me a better mother just by living her faith out in the most authentic way. She's inspired me to strive to be more like Jesus, and she's made me crave a deeper a walk with Him. Angie has impacted my life forever by sharing her story. She's truly the most amazing mother I know! ___________________ Amber Benge is a pastor's wife in Taylorsville, NC. She and her husband have two children; their daughter is 3 and their son is 1. Amber is a stay at home mom, who spends every spare moment pursuing her passion for writing. She's prayerfully writing her first book called Shadows in the Darkness, which focuses on God's plan for seasons of sufferings, and finding a closer walk with Christ in the midst of pain. Jesus saved Amber as a young girl and her life is all about learning to love Him more, day by day. She blogs at "Be Still," where she invites women to drop by for a devotion and an honest glimpse into her life. She knows that Angie's story will bless everyone who reads it, and is honored to share it with others. Visit Amber's blog: Be Still We also encourage you to read Audrey's story in Angie's own heart-touching words. Visit her blog at: __________________________ Thank you to all who participated!
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CWO Cover
